BRISBANE - Australia is notorious for its venomous spiders, snakes and sea creatures, but researchers have now identified"scorpion-like" toxins secreted by a tree that can cause excruciating pain for weeks.
The tree, which has broad oval- or heart-shaped leaves, is primarily found in rainforest areas of north-east Queensland, where it is notorious among hikers. Victims report an initial sting that"feels like fire at first, then subsides over hours to a pain reminiscent of having the affected body part caught in a slammed car door", the University of Queensland researchers said Thursday .Though the gympie-gympie is covered in fine needle-like hairs similar to other nettles, previous testing for common irritants such as histamines came up empty.
"Although they come from a plant, the gympietides are similar to spider and cone snail toxins in the way they fold into their 3D molecular structures and target the same pain receptors - this arguably makes the gympie-gympie tree a truly 'venomous' plant," she said.
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